Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-09-24

family OF tame animals that were Kept at the
mouth Of the port. and daily fed by priests
whose special duty it was to attend to them.
When we shot them l thought hat the brutes
were suspiciously tame, and this was, as We
afterwards ascertained, the cause OF II. Thus
It came about that IN attempting 20 show of
we had committed sacrlege Of . most nggra-
yated nature.
When our guide had finished his tale. tho
old man with the long beard and round cap,
whose appearance lhaye already described.
mud who was, as | have sale, the high priestof
the country, and known 81 the name OF Agon,
rose and commenced an impasioned ha-
rangue. Ibid not like the look OF his cold
gray eye asiic fixed II on us. l should have
liked II still less had / known that In tho
name Of the outraged majesty Of his god be
was demanding that tho whole lot OF usshould
DC offered up asa sacrifice by means Of being
burnt alive.
After hc had finished speaking the Queen
borais addressed him in q soft and musical
voice, ard appeared, to judge from his ges-
lures Of dissent, to be putting the other side
Of The question before him. Then Nyleptha
spoke In liquid accents. Little did we know
that she was pleading for our lives. Finally,
she turned and addressed a tall, soldier like
man Of middle age with q black beard and a
long, plain sword, whose nnme, as we after
wards learned, was Nasta, and who was the
greatest lord in tho country, apparently Up.
pealing TO him for support. Now when Sir
Henry hnd caught her eye and sho had biushed
80 rosy red, I lad seen that the Incident had
not escaped this mans notice, and what Is
more, that Il was emlnently disagrecable to
aim, FOR ho bit his lip and his hand t.ghtened
on his sword hilt. Afterwnrds we learned
that he was an nsplrant for the hand Of this
queen IN marriage, which accounted for Il.
This being co, Nyleptha could not have
appealed to a worse person, for speak
Ing In slow, heavy tones, no appeared to con-
firm all that the High Priest Agon said. AS
no spoke, scrais put her elbow on hcr knee,
and resting her chin on her hand, looked at
him with a suppressed smile upon her lips, as
though size saw through the man, and was de-
termined to DO his match but Nyleptha grew
very angry. Her check flushed, her eyes
flashed, and she did indeed look lovely. Finally
she turned to Agon and seemed to give some
sort Of qualified assent, for he bowed at her
words; and as she spoke she moved her hands
as Though e emphasize her words; while ell
the time Sorais kept her chin ON her hand
and smiled. Then suddenly Nyleptha made
O sign and the trnmpets blew again, and
everybody rose TO leave the ball save our
selves and the guards, whom she motioned II
stay.
When they were all gone she bent forweay1
and, smiling sweetly, partially by signs tnd
partly by ordinations, made 10 clear 10 ns
that she was very anxious TO know where we
came from. The difficulty was how to ex-
plain, but at last an idea struck me- I had
my large pocket book Ia my pocket and a
pencil. Taking It out, ] made a little sketch
Of q lake, and then as best I could, drew the
underground river and tho lake at the other
end. When l had done this / advanced to
the steps OF the throne AMI gnSo 1t to her.
She understood 1t at once and clapped her
bands with delight. and then descending
from the throne took 1t to her sister Sorais,
who also evidently understood. Next she
took the pencil from me, and after examining
It with curiosity, proceeded to mako a series
Of delightful little sketches, the first repre-
seuting herself holding out both hands in
welcome, and a man uncommonly like Sir
Henry taking them. Next she drew a lovely
little picture Of a hippopotamus rolling about
dying In the water, and OF an individual, In
whom we had no difficulty in recognizing
Agon, the high priest, holding up his hands In
horror a the bank. Then followed q most
alarming picture of q dreadful fiery furnace
and OF the same figure, Agon, poking us into
1t with a forked stick. This picture perfectly
h~orriled me, but / was a little treasured
when she nodded sweetly and proceeded to
make afourth ~drawing--of a man again un-
commonly like Sir Henry. and Of two
women, in whom | recognized Sorais and her
self, each with one arm around him, and
holding u sword In protection over him. To
ell or these Sorais, who | saw was employed
in carefully taking US al in-especially Curtis
-si2rided her approval by nodding.